Officials say that Russian missile strikes on the coast of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Asud have caused damage to 60,000 tons of grain and essential storage facilities.
Officials say that Russian missile strikes on the coast of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Asud have caused damage to 60,000 tons of grain and essential storage facilities.
Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Soltskyi, said that a significant amount of agricultural infrastructure has been damaged beyond repair.
Russia has unilaterally withdrawn from last season's grain agreements, which ensured safe passage for grain exports across the Black Sea.
The Kremlin claims that its demands regarding Russian exports were not met.
On Monday, within a few hours of withdrawing from the grain agreements, Russia launched attacks on the southern port cities of Odessa and Mykolaiv.
Subsequent to these attacks, there were further strikes during the night of Wednesday. The grain terminals and essential infrastructure at Odessa's port were targeted, as well as the southern coast of the Azov Sea, including two of the three ports involved in the grain agreements.
Odessa's military spokesman, Serhi Bratchuk, described it as a significant assault. The 60,000 tons of grain that were lost in the strike were supposed to be loaded onto a large-tonnage vessel and sent on its way 60 days ago through the grain corridor.
Later, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that from Wednesday night (21:00 GMT) onwards, any maritime vessel heading towards Ukraine's ports would be treated as possible military cargo and subject to inspection by opposing forces. Some northwestern and southeastern areas of the Azov Sea would be temporarily hazardous for shipping.
During the attacks, at least 12 civilians, including a nine-year-old boy, were injured, and the flats in the blocks also suffered damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that each missile strike is not only an attack on Ukraine but also a blow to "every individual in the world who strives for a peaceful and secure life."
France and Germany have also condemned the attack. Germany's Foreign Minister, Inalina Berbuk, said that by covering Odessa in bombs, Russian President Vladimir Putin is robbing the world of any hope for Ukrainian grain and "killing the poorest people in the world."
"The Ministry of Infrastructure has published a series of images showing the damages caused to silos and other facilities for handling grains. Authorities revealed that the losses include damage to roads, water reservoirs, and have affected international and Ukrainian traders the most.
Russian military officials claimed that the losses prove the failure of their attempts to target the majority of the Ukrainian missile and drone capabilities.
According to officials, the involved attacks included Kalibr cruise missiles, Onyx supersonic missiles, KH-22 anti-ship missiles, and kamikaze drones, which were fired from the Black Sea, Crimea, and southern Russia. Although 37 Russian missiles and drones were destroyed, one managed to penetrate the Ukrainian defense.
An eyewitness told Reuters, 'I saw a red flash through my window and immediately reacted. I went downstairs; there was noise outside and the air was filled with smoke. People were panicking, some were crying, and glass shards were scattered everywhere. It was impossible to stay in the area.'
Russia had initially announced a 'large-scale retaliatory action' to target the Karach Bridge, connecting annexed Crimea to mainland Russia, during its initial attack on Odessa. A sea drone was blamed for the bridge attack, causing a section of it to collapse and resulting in the death of a Russian couple."
On Wednesday, Crimea experienced further turmoil. Approximately 2,200 residents from four villages near the military training range were evacuated when several explosions occurred for several hours after a nearby ammunition depot caught fire.
Russian personnel in the area also closed a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) section of the Tavrida Motorway, which connects the cities of Simferopol and Sevastopol in southern Crimea via the Kerch Bridge. The construction of this road was initiated by the Russian occupying authorities in 2017.
On Wednesday, around 04:30 local time (01:30 GMT), a series of explosions were heard in the region.
Officials have not disclosed the cause of the fire near the city of Staraya Krymskaya. However, on social media, there were unverified reports of three Ukrainian missile strikes.
The Kremlin stated that President Putin was briefed on the incident.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, mentioned that investigations into the cause of the fire at the military training range are underway, but no casualties have been reported.
Comments
Post a Comment